Information processing device, audio notification method, program, and information processing system

Abstract

To provide an information processing system that improves the ease of conveying differences in the situations of workers when notifying the workers by voice. [Solution] This information processing device has a sensor data acquisition means for acquiring sensor data associated with a work target, a related information acquisition means for acquiring related information related to the work target's situation associated with the acquired sensor data, a situation determination means for determining the work target's situation based on the related information, and an audio notification means for notifying a worker terminal held by a worker associated with the work target of an audio created based on the work target's situation.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a voice notification method, a program, and an information processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, hospitals and nursing care facilities have introduced systems to monitor the condition of individuals who require nursing or care (e.g., patients or care recipients), allowing the nursing or care workers (e.g., medical professionals or care providers) to respond quickly and appropriately.

[0003] A technology has been known for some time that involves capturing an image of a patient on a bed from above the bed, detecting the patient's movements on the bed from the camera's image, and causing a nurse call master unit to issue an audio alert if the movement exceeds a specified range on the bed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional techniques that notify workers by voice have had the problem that it is sometimes difficult to convey to workers the difference in the worker's condition. For example, if a worker had previously vomited and pressed the worker's nurse call button and the worker is notified by voice, it is highly likely that the worker is complaining of poor health, but there is a problem that it is difficult to convey to the worker that the worker needs to be treated promptly. Note that Patent Document 1 does not address this problem.

[0005] An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an information processing system that improves the ease with which differences in the status of the target worker are conveyed when notifying the worker by voice. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device having a sensor data acquisition means for acquiring sensor data associated with a work subject, a related information acquisition means for acquiring related information related to the status of the work subject associated with the acquired sensor data, a situation determination means for determining the status of the work subject based on the related information, and an audio notification means for notifying a worker terminal held by a worker associated with the work subject of an audio created based on the determined status of the work subject. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when notifying a worker by voice, it is possible to improve the ease with which differences in the situation of the worker can be conveyed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of a smartphone. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of sensor data. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of status report data. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a situation evaluation table. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an image diagram of an example of a situation evaluation table editing screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conversion table. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conversion table. [Figure 12]1 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] [First embodiment] <System configuration> 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of an information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment includes a related information DB 10, an information processing device 12, a voice synthesizer 14, a sensor 16, and a worker terminal 18.

[0011] In the information processing system 1 of Fig. 1, a related information DB 10, an information processing device 12, and a voice synthesizer 14 are connected to the Internet 20. Also, in the information processing system 1 of Fig. 1, a sensor 16 and a worker terminal 18 are connected to an intranet 22. The Internet 20 and the intranet 22 are examples of a communication network. The related information DB 10, the information processing device 12, the voice synthesizer 14, the sensor 16, and the worker terminal 18 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the Internet 20 and the intranet 22.

[0012] The related information DB10 is a database of related information related to the work subject. The work subject is the person who is the object of work. The work subject is, for example, a patient or a person being cared for who requires nursing or care. The related information is information related to the situation of the work subject. For example, the related information is information that the work subject vomited this morning. Details of the related information related to the work subject will be described later. The related information DB10 provides the related information to the information processing device 12. The related information DB10 is, for example, a database server. The related information DB10 is realized by a PC (Personal Computer) or a workstation, etc.

[0013] The information processing device 12 is a device that controls a process of determining the status of the work recipient and notifying the worker by voice with a changed tone of voice based on the result of the determination. The worker is a person who performs work. The worker is, for example, a medical professional or a care provider who provides nursing care or care for the work recipient. The status of the work recipient is information that represents the urgency or importance of the worker's work with respect to the work recipient. The urgency is the amount of time needed to prevent the symptoms from worsening or to avoid a life-threatening situation by taking appropriate action. The importance is the degree of impact that will occur if the problem cannot be resolved by taking appropriate action.

[0014] The information processing device 12 judges the situation of the worker based on the sensor data output from the sensor 16 and the related information provided from the related information DB, and determines parameters for voice synthesis based on the result of the judgment. The information processing device 12 is realized by a PC, a workstation, or the like.

[0015] The voice synthesizer 14 synthesizes voice data of the content to be notified to the worker based on the voice synthesis parameters. The tone of the voice synthesized by the voice synthesizer 14 changes depending on the voice synthesis parameters. The voice synthesis parameters are an example of information that specifies the tone of the voice to be synthesized. The voice synthesizer 14 is realized by a PC, a workstation, or the like.

[0016] The sensor 16 outputs sensor data associated with the worker. A sensor is an element that detects various physical quantities, such as sound, light, pressure, and temperature. Examples of the sensor 16 include a sensor that detects the worker's body temperature or pulse, a bed sensor that detects when the worker gets out of bed, a sensor that detects the worker from a captured image, a sensor that detects the temperature and humidity of the environment where the worker is present, or a sensor that detects a change in physical quantity due to pressing a nurse call button. In the information processing system 1 of FIG. 1, one or more sensors 16 are connected to an intranet 22. At least some of the sensors 16 may be connected to the Internet 20.

[0017] The worker terminal 18 is a device operated by a worker. The worker terminal 18 may include an information processing terminal such as a smartphone, tablet, or mobile phone, and an intercom. An intercom is also called an intercom, an abbreviation of intercommunication. An intercom is a communication device that allows voice calls, for example, by wearing an earphone microphone or a headset. The information processing terminal and the intercom are connected to each other for wired or wireless communication. Note that if the microphone and speaker of the information processing terminal are used, the intercom may be omitted. The worker terminal 18 can notify the worker of the situation of the worker by outputting voice synthesized by the information processing device 12 based on parameters, as described below. In the information processing system 1 of FIG. 1, one or more worker terminals 18 are connected to an intranet 22. At least some of the worker terminals 18 may be connected to the Internet 20.

[0018] The related information DB 10, the information processing device 12, and the voice synthesizer 14 may function as a web server and provide the worker terminal 18 with screen data such as a web page for the worker to display on the worker terminal 18.

[0019] The related information DB 10, the information processing device 12, and the voice synthesis device 14 may be, for example, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile, a multifunction peripheral, a projector, a display device with an electronic whiteboard function, an output device such as digital signage, a HUD (Head Up Display) device, industrial machinery, an imaging device, a sound collection device, a medical device, a network home appliance, an automobile (Connected Car), a game console, etc.

[0020] The configuration of the information processing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and there are various system configuration examples depending on the application or purpose. For example, the information processing device 12 may be configured with one or more computers. The information processing device 12 may be realized as a cloud computing service. Furthermore, the voice synthesizer 14 may be realized as a cloud computing service. Furthermore, the related information DB 10, the information processing device 12, and the voice synthesizer 14 may be configured as an integrated unit, or may be further divided into separate units. For example, the related information DB 10 and the voice synthesizer 14 may be omitted by providing the functions of the related information DB 10 and the voice synthesizer 14 in the information processing device 12.

[0021] <Hardware configuration> Smartphone The worker terminal 18 may be realized by using a smartphone 400 having the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the smartphone 400.

[0022] The smartphone 400 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 401, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 402, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 403, an EEPROM 404, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor 405, an image sensor I / F 406, an acceleration / azimuth sensor 407, a media I / F 409, and a GPS receiver 411.

[0023] The CPU 401 controls the overall operation of the smartphone 400. The ROM 402 stores the CPU 401 and programs used to drive the CPU 401, such as the IPL. The RAM 403 is used as a work area for the CPU 401. The EEPROM 404 reads and writes various data, such as smartphone programs, under the control of the CPU 401.

[0024] The CMOS sensor 405 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject (mainly a self-portrait) under the control of the CPU 401 to obtain image data. Note that instead of a CMOS sensor, an imaging means such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor may be used. The imaging element I / F 406 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 405. The acceleration / azimuth sensor 407 is one of various sensors, such as an electronic magnetic compass or gyrocompass that detects geomagnetism, and an acceleration sensor. The media I / F 409 controls the reading or writing (storage) of data from or to a recording medium 408, such as a flash memory. The GPS receiver 411 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites.

[0025] The smartphone 400 also includes a long-distance communication circuit 412, a CMOS sensor 413, an image sensor I / F 414, a microphone 415, a speaker 416, an audio input / output I / F 417, a display 418, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 419, a short-distance communication circuit 420, an antenna 420a for the short-distance communication circuit 420, and a touch panel 421. The long-distance communication circuit 412 is a circuit that communicates with other devices via a network. The CMOS sensor 413 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject under the control of the CPU 401 to obtain image data. The image sensor I / F 414 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 413. The microphone 415 is a built-in circuit that converts sound into an electrical signal. The speaker 416 is a built-in circuit that converts the electrical signal into physical vibrations to produce sound such as music or voice.

[0026] The audio input / output I / F 417 is a circuit that processes input and output of audio signals between the microphone 415 and the speaker 416 under the control of the CPU 401. The display 418 is a type of display means such as a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) that displays an image of a subject, various icons, etc.

[0027] The external device connection I / F 419 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The short-range communication circuit 420 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The touch panel 421 is a type of input means that allows a user to operate the smartphone 400 by pressing the display 418. The smartphone 400 includes a bus line 410. The bus line 410 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 401 shown in FIG. 2 .

[0028] "computer" The related information DB 10, the information processing device 12, and the speech synthesizer 14 shown in Fig. 1 may be realized by a computer 500 having a hardware configuration shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the worker terminal 18 shown in Fig. 1 may be realized by a computer 500 having a hardware configuration shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 500 according to this embodiment.

[0029] The computer 500 includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, a HD 504, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F 508, a network I / F 509, a data bus 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0030] The CPU 501 controls the overall operation of the computer 500 in accordance with a program. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as the IPL. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 504 in accordance with the control of the CPU 501.

[0031] The display 506 displays various types of information such as a cursor, menus, windows, characters, or images. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various types of external devices. In this case, the external device is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using a network. The data bus 510 is an address bus, data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501.

[0032] The keyboard 511 is a type of input means having multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 513, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that this is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be a DVD-R, etc. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a recording medium 515, such as a flash memory.

[0033] The hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and it is not necessary to include all of the components shown in FIG. 3, or it may include components other than those shown in FIG.

[0034] <Functional configuration> Fig. 4 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. Note that the functional configuration diagram of Fig. 4 appropriately omits configurations that are not necessary for explaining this embodiment. The related information DB 10, the information processing device 12, the voice synthesizer 14, and the worker terminal 18 realize the functional configuration of Fig. 4 by, for example, the smartphone 400 of Fig. 2 or the computer 500 of Fig. 3 executing an OS (Operating System) and a program.

[0035] The related information DB 10 has a related information management unit 30 and a related information storage unit 32. The information processing device 12 has a sensor data acquisition unit 40, a related information acquisition unit 42, a situation determination unit 44, a voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46, a voice synthesis request unit 48, and a voice notification unit 50. The voice synthesizer 14 has a voice synthesis unit 60 and a voice data provision unit 62. The sensor 16 has a sensor unit 70 and a sensor data output unit 72. The worker terminal 18 has an operation reception unit 80, a display control unit 82, and a voice output unit 84.

[0036] The related information storage unit 32 of the related information DB 10 stores related information related to the work target person. The related information is, for example, a description of the work target person's situation in natural language. For example, the related information is a description of the work target person's situation reported by the reporter in text.

[0037] The related information management unit 30 manages the related information stored in the related information storage unit 32. The related information management unit 30, for example, manages the recording of related information in the related information storage unit 32 and the acquisition of related information from the related information storage unit 32. The recording of related information in the related information storage unit 32 may be performed based on a recording request from a device operated by the reporter (for example, the worker terminal 18).

[0038] The sensor unit 70 of the sensor 16 monitors, for example, the body temperature of the worker, the pulse rate of the worker, whether the worker has left bed, an image of the worker, the temperature and humidity of the environment where the worker is, or whether the nurse call button has been pressed. The sensor data output unit 72 outputs the sensor data detected by the sensor unit 70 to the information processing device 12.

[0039] The sensor data acquisition unit 40 of the information processing device 12 acquires sensor data associated with the worker. The sensor data is information detected by a sensor. The sensor data includes, for example, information related to the worker pressing the nurse call button, and information on detected changes in physical quantities resulting from the worker pressing the nurse call button.

[0040] The related information acquisition unit 42 acquires, from the related information DB 10, related information related to the work target person associated with the sensor data acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 40.

[0041] The situation determination unit 44 determines the situation of the worker (such as the urgency or importance) based on the sensor data acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 40 and the related information acquired from the related information DB 10. The situation determination unit 44 can more appropriately determine the situation of the worker by determining the situation of the worker based not only on the sensor data acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 40 but also on the related information acquired from the related information DB 10. Note that the situation determination unit 44 may determine the situation of the worker using the related information acquired from the related information DB 10 without using the sensor data acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 40.

[0042] The voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46 determines voice synthesis parameters based on the result of the determination of the worker's situation by the situation determination unit 44. The voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46 determines the voice synthesis parameters so that the worker can be notified in a tone of voice that corresponds to the worker's situation, so as to improve the ease of conveying differences in the worker's situation.

[0043] The voice synthesis request unit 48 specifies voice synthesis parameters, requests voice synthesis from the voice synthesizer 14, and receives voice data voice-synthesized based on the parameters. The voice notification unit 50 transmits the voice data voice-synthesized based on the parameters to the worker terminal 18.

[0044] When the voice synthesis unit 60 of the voice synthesis device 14 receives a voice synthesis request from the information processing device 12, it voice synthesizes (creates) voice data based on the voice synthesis parameters. The voice data providing unit 62 provides the voice data voice-synthesized by the voice synthesis unit 60 to the information processing device 12.

[0045] An operation reception unit 80 of the worker terminal 18 receives various operations from the worker. A display control unit 82 controls, for example, the display on the display 418. A voice output unit 84 outputs voice from, for example, a speaker 416 based on voice data received from the information processing device 12. In this way, the voice output unit 84 outputs voice synthesized based on parameters from, for example, the speaker 416.

[0046] <Processing> FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing procedure of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0047] In step S10, the sensor data acquisition unit 40 of the information processing device 12 acquires sensor data associated with the work subject from the sensor 16. In the following, an example will be described in which the sensor data is information relating to pressing of a nurse call button.

[0048] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of sensor data. The sensor data shown in Fig. 6 has the following data items: type, terminal ID, content, content description, user, and date and time.

[0049] The type indicates the type of sensor data. The terminal ID indicates the identification information of the sensor 16. The content indicates the event that occurred on the sensor 16 identified by the terminal ID. The content description is a description of the event that occurred on the sensor 16 identified by the terminal ID, for example, pressing the nurse call button. The user is information about the user associated with the sensor 16 on which the event occurred, for example, information about the worker who pressed the nurse call button. The date and time is the date and time on which the event occurred, for example, the date and time on which the nurse call button was pressed.

[0050] In step S12, the related information acquisition unit 42 of the information processing device 12 requests the related information DB 10 for related information related to the work target person associated with the sensor data acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 40, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0051] For example, the status report data in Fig. 7 is an example of related information. Fig. 7 is a configuration diagram of an example of status report data. The status report data in Fig. 7 has the date and time, reporter, and report content as data items.

[0052] The date and time is the date and time when the situation report data was recorded. The reporter is information about the reporter who reported the content of the situation report data. The report content is the reported content. The timing when the situation report data is recorded is independent of the timing when the sensor 16 detects it. For example, the situation report data may be information from regular meetings such as morning meetings, special meetings, handover meetings, etc., which has been digitized using technology such as transcription.

[0053] In step S14, the related information management unit 30 of the related information DB10 searches the related information storage unit 32 for related information related to the work subject that corresponds to the sensor data acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 40, for example, the sensor data of Figure 6, and transmits it to the information processing device 12.

[0054] The related information management unit 30 may search for status report data including a query string, for example, from the related information storage unit 32. The related information management unit 30 may also perform a semantic search using a vector DB in which the status report data is vectorized.

[0055] For example, the related information management unit 30 uses the user "Suzuki, Room 202" included in the sensor data of Figure 6 acquired by the sensor data acquisition unit 40 as a query string, and searches the status report data of Figure 7 for status report data that includes the query string "Suzuki, Room 202", such as "Date and time: 2022 / 08 / 25 08:16:31 Reporter: Yamakawa Report content: Suzuki, Room 202, vomited this morning."

[0056] The situation determination unit 44 of the information processing device 12, which has received the related information related to the work target person associated with the sensor data from the related information DB 10, performs situation determination in step S16. The situation determination unit 44 determines the situation (urgency, importance, etc.) of the work target person based on the sensor data acquired from the sensor 16 in step S10 and the related information acquired from the related information DB 10 in step S14.

[0057] The situation determination unit 44 may determine the situation of the worker using, for example, a situation evaluation table shown in FIG. 8, or may determine the situation of the worker using a conversation-based generation AI.

[0058] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a situation evaluation table. The situation of the work target person can be determined using the situation evaluation table shown in Fig. 8 as follows. Here, an example will be described in which the sensor data is "Suzuki in room 202, the nurse call has rung" and the situation report data is "Suzuki in room 202 vomited this morning."

[0059] The situation determination unit 44 extracts the keywords "Room 202, Suzuki-san, nurse call, this morning, vomiting" from the sensor data and the situation report data by using existing technology such as morphological analysis and dividing the data into words.

[0060] The situation determination unit 44 calculates the total score using the situation evaluation table of Fig. 8 in which urgency scores for keywords are set. The keyword urgency scores in Fig. 8 are an example of keyword scores. For example, in the case of the keywords "Room 202, Suzuki, nurse call, this morning, vomiting," the situation determination unit 44 searches the situation evaluation table of Fig. 8 for the keywords "Room 202, Suzuki, nurse call, this morning, vomiting," and calculates a total score of "-2" by adding the urgency score of "-1" for the keyword "nurse call" and the urgency score of "-1" for the keyword "vomit."

[0061] The situation determination unit 44 determines the situation (urgency or importance, etc.) of the work target person according to the calculated total score. For example, if the total score is "-2" or less, the situation determination unit 44 determines the urgency, which is an example of the work target person's situation, to be "very urgent," if the total score is "-1," and determines the urgency, which is an example of the work target person's situation, to be "normal" if the total score is "0" or more.

[0062] In this example, the urgency of the worker's situation is determined to be "very urgent" based on the total score of "-2" obtained by adding the urgency score of "-1" for the keyword "nurse call" and the urgency score of "-1" for the keyword "vomiting." While the urgency is determined by calculating the total score using the sensor data and the situation report data, the urgency may also be determined by calculating the total score using only the situation report data. For example, using the situation report data "Suzuki-san in Room 202 vomited this morning," the situation determination unit 44 extracts the keywords "Room 202, Suzuki-san, this morning, vomiting" from the situation report data by utilizing existing techniques such as morphological analysis and word segmentation. The situation determination unit 44 calculates the total score using the situation evaluation table of FIG. 8, in which the urgency scores of the keywords are set. The situation determination unit 44 calculates the total score of "-1" from the urgency score of "-1" for the keyword "vomiting." In this case, the situation determination unit 44 determines that the urgency, which is an example of the situation of the work target person, is "urgent" because the total score is "-1."

[0063] The situation evaluation table of Fig. 8 may be adjustable by a worker or the like from a situation evaluation table editing screen 1000 shown in Fig. 9, for example. Fig. 9 is an image diagram of an example of the situation evaluation table editing screen 1000. The situation evaluation table editing screen 1000 of Fig. 9 displays the contents of the situation evaluation table of Fig. 8. The situation evaluation table of Fig. 8 includes keywords that are thought to affect the determination of the urgency, which is an example of the situation of the worker, and urgency scores that quantify the influence of the keywords on the determination of the urgency.

[0064] For example, a worker may be able to set a new keyword urgency score or modify an already set keyword urgency score in the situation assessment table of FIG. 8 by pressing edit button 1002 on situation assessment table editing screen 1000 of FIG. 9.

[0065] Furthermore, the situation determination unit 44 may use a conversational generation AI to determine the situation of the worker from the sensor data acquired from the sensor 16 in step S10 and the text of the related information acquired from the related information DB 10 in step S14, as follows: The conversational generation AI is, for example, ChatGPT (registered trademark). By using the conversational generation AI, the situation determination unit 44 can make a more flexible and human-like determination than when determining the situation of the worker using the situation evaluation table of FIG. 8.

[0066] The prompts to be input into the conversational generation AI are created based on prompt templates such as the one below.

[0067] [Table 1]

[0068] [Table 2] The situation determination unit 44 can obtain output data such as the following by inputting the above prompt into the conversational generation AI. The situation determination unit 44 can also determine the urgency, which is an example of the situation of the worker, from the following output data.

[0069] [Table 3]

[0070] [Table 4] The prompt, output data, and urgency may be as follows:

[0071] [Table 5]

[0072] [Table 6] Note that the determination of the urgency, which is an example of the worker's situation, is merely an example, and the importance may be determined, or a determination may be made based on a combination of the urgency and the importance. The related information may also include the worker's profile (such as age, gender, or medical history). The related information may also include situation information (such as the worker's situation determined from location information) or attribute information (such as the worker's age) of the worker associated with the worker. The related information may also include information about the worker's environment, such as news or weather forecasts.

[0073] An example of information about the worker's environment is weather forecast information such as "Today's temperature in the XX region is 4 degrees higher than yesterday, so there is a risk of heatstroke. Take precautions such as drinking plenty of fluids." Another example of information about the worker's environment is news information such as "The number of COVID-19 infections this week has increased by 100 and is on the rise." When receiving such information about the worker's environment, the situation determination unit 44 may determine whether to increase or decrease the urgency level, which is an example of the worker's situation. Specifically, the situation determination unit 44 may change the urgency level based on the information about the worker's environment by setting the urgency score in the situation evaluation table shown in FIG. 8. The situation determination unit 44 may also change the urgency level based on the information about the worker's environment by adding information about the worker's environment to the prompt input to the conversational generation AI.

[0074] Returning to step S18 in Fig. 5, the voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46 determines voice synthesis parameters based on the result of determining the situation of the worker in step S16. For example, the voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46 determines voice synthesis parameters based on the result of determining the situation of the worker in step S16, using the conversion table shown in Fig. 10.

[0075] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a conversion table. In the conversion table of FIG. 10, a voice ID, a volume, and an additional action are set in association with the urgency level. The voice ID is identification information of a sound source that specifies the tone of the voice to be synthesized. The volume is information indicating the volume of the voice to notify the worker. In addition to voice notification, additional actions are set to notify the worker in a way different from the voice notification. Additional actions include contacting the worker by phone, contacting the worker by email, or registering the task in a scheduler.

[0076] For example, when using the conversion table shown in Fig. 10, if the result of determining the worker's situation in step S16 is "urgent," the voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46 determines the voice synthesis parameters so that the worker is notified by a voice in the voice of "Taro" saying "Mr. Suzuki in room 202, the nurse call has rung" which is the description of the sensor data in Fig. 6, at the maximum volume of "10." For example, if the voice of "Taro" evokes the idea that the situation is urgent, the voice synthesized at the maximum volume using the voice of "Taro" will be a voice that easily conveys the urgency to the worker.

[0077] Furthermore, if the result of determining the worker's situation in step S16 is "normal," the voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46 determines the voice synthesis parameters so that the worker is notified by a voice in the voice of "Yoko" at a volume of "5" that says, "Suzuki-san in room 202, the nurse call has rung," which is the description of the sensor data in Fig. 6. For example, if the voice of "Yoko" evokes the idea that there is no emergency, the voice synthesized using the voice of "Yoko" at a volume of "5" will be a voice that easily conveys to the worker that there is no emergency.

[0078] Furthermore, the voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46 may use the conversion table shown in FIG. 11 to determine voice synthesis parameters based on the result of determining the situation of the worker in step S16.

[0079] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a conversion table. In the conversion table of Fig. 11, examples of parameters for changing the tone of voice, such as anger, joy, speech rate, or voice pitch, are set in association with the level of urgency. The parameters for changing the tone of voice in Fig. 11 are merely an example, and other data items may be used.

[0080] For example, when using the conversion table shown in FIG. 11, if the result of determining the situation of the worker in step S16 is "urgent," the voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46 determines the voice synthesis parameters of anger "8," joy "4," speech rate "5," and voice pitch "7," which can synthesize a voice tone that will easily convey to the worker that the situation is urgent.

[0081] The explanation of the sensor data in Figure 6, "Mr. Suzuki in room 202, the nurse call has rung," synthesized using the speech synthesis parameters of anger "8," happiness "4," speech rate "5," and voice pitch "7," is assumed to be a voice tone that is easy to convey to the worker that there is an emergency.

[0082] Furthermore, if the result of the judgment of the worker's situation in step S16 is "normal," the voice synthesis parameter determination unit 46 determines the voice synthesis parameters of anger "5," joy "5," speech rate "5," and voice pitch "5," which can synthesize a voice tone that easily conveys to the worker that there is no emergency.

[0083] The explanation of the sensor data in Figure 6, "Mr. Suzuki in room 202, the nurse call has rung," synthesized using the speech synthesis parameters of anger "5," happiness "5," speech rate "5," and voice pitch "5," is assumed to be a voice tone that easily conveys to the worker that it is not an emergency.

[0084] Note that the conversion table shown in FIG. 11 is an example, and the voice synthesis parameters may be changed depending on the importance or the worker. For example, the conversion table shown in FIG. 11 may change the voice synthesis parameters to lower the speaking rate of the voice synthesized if the worker to whom the voice synthesized speech is notified is a new employee (such as a new recruit). The conversion table shown in FIG. 11 may also change the voice synthesis parameters to suppress the anger parameter of the voice synthesis if the worker to whom the voice synthesized speech is notified has a higher position. The conversion table shown in FIG. 11 may also change the voice synthesis parameters to lower the speaking rate and increase the volume of the voice synthesized if the worker to whom the voice synthesized speech is notified is older. The conversion table shown in FIG. 11 may also change the voice synthesis parameters to increase the pitch of the voice synthesized if the worker to whom the voice synthesized speech is notified is in a noisy place.

[0085] 5, the voice synthesis request unit 48 of the information processing device 12 requests voice synthesis from the voice synthesizer 14 by specifying the voice synthesis parameters determined in step S18. In step S22, upon receiving the voice synthesis request from the information processing device 12, the voice synthesis unit 60 of the voice synthesizer 14 voice synthesizes voice data based on the voice synthesis parameters. The voice data providing unit 62 provides the voice data voice-synthesized by the voice synthesis unit 60 to the information processing device 12.

[0086] In step S24, the voice notification unit 50 of the information processing device 12 transmits voice data synthesized based on the parameters to the worker terminal 18. In step S26, the voice output unit 84 of the worker terminal 18 outputs the voice synthesized based on the parameters from, for example, the speaker 416.

[0087] The processing procedure shown in the sequence diagram of FIG. 5 can handle the following use cases, for example. (1) The status report data reported by the worker at the morning meeting, "Mr. A vomited this morning," is recorded in the related information DB 10. (2) Person A presses the nurse call button. (3) The information processing device 12, which has acquired the sensor data indicating that Person A has pressed the nurse call button, searches for Person A's condition report data. (4) The information processing device 12 determines the situation (degree of urgency, etc.) of Person A based on the acquired sensor data and the retrieved situation report data of Person A. (5) The information processing device 12 notifies the worker associated with Person A, "Person A's nurse call has rung," in a voice tone (such as a tone that conveys the level of urgency) that corresponds to the determined situation (such as the level of urgency) of Person A.

[0088] As described above, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment addresses the problem that it is difficult to tell the difference between emergency and normal notifications when notifications are given to workers in the same tone of voice, by changing the voice synthesis parameters based on the results of determining the worker's situation, making it easier to tell the difference between emergency and normal notifications.

[0089] In other words, the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment can provide an information processing system 1 that, when notifying a worker by voice, intuitively conveys differences in the status of the work target (such as urgency or importance) using a tone of voice, thereby improving the ease with which differences in the status of the work target can be conveyed. While patients or care recipients who require nursing or care are described as work targets, the work target is not limited to these. Furthermore, the work target is not limited to a person, but may also be a group, an object, a place, a facility, or the like. For example, if the work target is an object such as an antique, and there is a sensor that detects and senses the antique, and there is related information about the antique (for example, today's weather forecast is humid, or there have been previous incidents of theft), the urgency may be determined to be higher than normal.

[0090] [Second embodiment] The functional configuration of the information processing system 1 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 4 may be, for example, the functional configuration shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. The functional configuration diagram of Fig. 12 is a configuration in which an action execution unit 52 and a text conversion unit 54 are added to the information processing device 12 of Fig. 4. Note that the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment except for some parts, and therefore description thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0091] The action execution unit 52 notifies the worker by a method other than voice notification, in addition to the voice notification using synthesized voice, based on the result of the determination by the situation determination unit 44. For example, if the situation of the worker is of high urgency, the information processing device 12 notifies the worker by voice notification, but also by telephone, email, or registers the situation as a task in a scheduler.

[0092] The text conversion unit 54 changes the content of the text to be voice-synthesized based on the parameters, based on the result of the determination by the situation determination unit 44. For example, when the situation is "very urgent," which has the highest level of urgency, the text conversion unit 54 may add the word "very urgent" twice to the beginning of the text. Also, for example, when the situation is "urgent," which has the second highest level of urgency, the text conversion unit 54 may add one word "urgent" to the beginning of the text. Also, for example, when the situation is "high" in importance, the text conversion unit 54 may repeat the text twice and add the sentence "I repeat." between them.

[0093] As a result, when the urgency level is "very urgent" and the importance level is "high," the text conversion unit 54 changes the description of the sensor data in Figure 6, which is voice synthesized using the voice synthesis parameters, from "Suzuki-san in room 202, the nurse call has rung." to "Very urgent, very urgent, Suzuki-san in room 202, the nurse call has rung. I repeat, Suzuki-san in room 202, the nurse call has rung."

[0094] 12, the text to be voice-synthesized using voice synthesis parameters can be changed based on the result of the determination by the situation determination unit 44, and the changed text can be voice-synthesized and notified to the worker. Furthermore, the information processing system 1 in FIG. 12 can additionally execute appropriate actions based on the result of the determination by the situation determination unit 44.

[0095] [Third embodiment] The configuration of the information processing system 1 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 may be, for example, the configuration of an information processing system 1A shown in Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1A according to this embodiment.

[0096] In the information processing system 1A of Fig. 13, the speech synthesizer 14 is connected to the Internet 20. In addition, in the information processing system 1 of Fig. 1, the related information DB 10, the information processing device 12, the sensor 16, and the worker terminal 18 are connected to an intranet 22. The information processing system 1A of Fig. 13 differs from the information processing system 1 of Fig. 1 in that the related information DB 10 and the information processing device 12 are connected to the intranet 22.

[0097] Because the related information DB 10 and the information processing device 12 handle personal information and the like, it is desirable to connect them to the intranet 22 rather than the Internet 20 due to security concerns. Note that in the information processing system 1A of FIG. 13, the speech synthesizer 14 may also be connected to the intranet 22. Note that the sequence diagram showing an example of the processing procedure of the information processing system 1A according to this embodiment is the same as the sequence diagram of FIG. 5 according to the first embodiment. According to the information processing system 1A according to this embodiment, personal information of a work subject (e.g., a patient or a care recipient) who requires nursing or care can be handled within the intranet 22 in a hospital or a care facility, and therefore it is possible to prevent leakage of the work subject's personal information.

[0098] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a conventional circuit module designed to perform each function described above.

[0099] The devices described in the examples merely represent one of multiple computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the components in these embodiments include those that would be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially identical, and those that are within the scope of what is called equivalents. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the present embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1. 1A Information Processing System 10 Related Information Database 12 Information processing equipment 14 Voice synthesizer 16 sensors 18 Worker terminal 20. Internet 22 Intranet 40 Sensor data acquisition unit 42 Related Information Acquisition Department 44 Situation Assessment Department 46 Speech synthesis parameter determination unit 50 Audio notification section 52 Action Execution Unit 54 Text conversion section 60 Speech synthesis unit [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0101] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-51148

Claims

1. a sensor data acquisition means for acquiring sensor data associated with a worker; related information acquisition means for acquiring related information relating to the situation of the worker corresponding to the acquired sensor data; a situation determination means for determining a situation of the worker based on the related information; a voice notification means for notifying a voice created based on the determined status of the work target person to a worker terminal held by the worker associated with the work target person; An information processing device having the above.

2. the situation determination means determines the situation of the worker based on the acquired sensor data and the related information.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1.

3. a voice synthesis parameter determination means for determining voice synthesis parameters based on the determined situation of the worker; and the voice notification means notifies a voice synthesized based on the parameters to a worker terminal held by a worker associated with the target worker.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1.

4. a voice synthesis means for synthesizing voice data based on the parameters; The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

5. the parameters include at least one of a sound source, a speaking rate, a voice pitch, and a volume that specify a tone of the voice; 5. The information processing device according to claim 3.

6. an action execution means for notifying the worker by a method different from the voice notification in addition to the voice notification based on the determined status of the worker; The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

7. a text modification means for modifying the content of the text to be voice-synthesized based on the parameters, based on the determined status of the worker; 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

8. the voice synthesis parameter determination means determines the voice synthesis parameters based on attribute information or situation information of the worker in addition to the determined situation of the worker.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

9. the situation determination means extracts keywords from text of at least one of the sensor data and the related information, calculates a total score using a situation assessment table in which scores for the keywords are set, and determines the situation of the worker according to the total score; 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

10. The situation determination means determines the situation of the worker from text of at least one of the sensor data and the related information using an interactive generation AI.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

11. The related information includes a text description of the status of the work target person reported by the reporter.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

12. A voice notification method performed by an information processing device, a sensor data acquisition step of acquiring sensor data associated with a worker; a related information acquisition step of acquiring related information related to a situation of the worker corresponding to the acquired sensor data; a situation determination step of determining a situation of the worker based on the related information; a voice notification step of notifying a worker terminal of a worker associated with the work target person of the voice created based on the determined state of the work target person; 1. A voice notification method comprising:

13. In the information processing device, a sensor data acquisition procedure for acquiring sensor data associated with the worker; a related information acquisition step of acquiring related information related to the situation of the worker corresponding to the acquired sensor data; a situation determination step for determining the situation of the worker based on the related information; a voice notification step of notifying a worker terminal of a worker associated with the worker of the voice generated based on the determined state of the worker; A program that executes the following.

14. An information processing system having an information processing device and a worker terminal, The information processing device includes: a sensor data acquisition means for acquiring sensor data associated with a worker; related information acquisition means for acquiring related information relating to the situation of the worker corresponding to the acquired sensor data; a situation determination means for determining a situation of the worker based on the related information; a voice notification means for notifying the worker terminal of the worker associated with the work target person of a voice created based on the determined state of the work target person; and the worker terminal includes a voice output unit that outputs a voice notified from the information processing device; having Information processing system.

Images